


home is where the heart is

by philindas



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Domestic, F/M, Gen, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-29
Updated: 2016-10-24
Packaged: 2018-03-20 03:42:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3635319
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/philindas/pseuds/philindas
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The phone ringing at three in the morning jolts her from a solid sleep.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> SO this is probably the biggest undertaking I have ever taken in terms of writing a fic- it was something I just came up with today and I started writing and suddenly I had a full plan and over two thousands words written, so I just ran with it. The premise is simply to give me a different kind of environment to showcase the familial relationships- SHIELD/superheroes don't exist in the universe, everyone is merely ordinary! I'm really not sure how many chapters this will end up being- I'm ballparking five to six, but we'll just see where the writing takes me. Enjoy!

The phone ringing at three in the morning jolts her from a solid sleep.

“Fuck,” she mumbles, pushing herself off the bare chest she’d been leaning on, running a hand messily through her brunette locks as she struggles to locate her cell. She finds it on the floor, half under her jeans, and when she spies her mom’s number on the caller id, groggily answers it. “Mama? What is it, it’s three in the morning.”

“Baby…” her mom’s voice sounds thick in her ear, and her heart drops to her stomach. “Skye, your dad had a massive heart attack. They’re taking him into surgery. It…it doesn’t look good.”

“I’m getting on a plane right now,” Skye says, blinking away the sudden burn of tears in her eyes. “Mom I am coming home right now I will be there in a few hours. Did you call everyone else?”

“Bobbi said she’d call everyone else,” her mom manages, though she sounds close to tears again. “Clint and Nat are on their way to the hospital.”

“I’m coming, Mama,” Skye says, climbing out of bed and hopping into the jeans she’d picked up. “I’ll be there soon. I love you.”

Her mom whispered the words back and Skye hung up, flicking on the bedroom light and officially waking her bedmate. “Skye?”

“Dad’s in the hospital and I need to get on a flight home immediately I need to- I have to-” Grant cuts off her rambling by gripping her shoulders. She looks up at him, tears pooling in her eyes, and he immediately pulls her into a hug, wrapping her up in his arms.

“I’ll drive. Pack a bag while I call the airlines to see when the next flight to DC is,” is all he says; she nods before stepping away and grabbing her travel bag from the closet, shoving clothes in it almost unthinkingly. She hears Ward in the background on the phone but she can’t focus on what he’s saying; all she can picture is her dad’s smile, the way her head fit perfectly on his shoulder when he hugged her- how she couldn’t remember if she’d told him she loved him the last time he’d called to check up on her.

She’s on autopilot during the drive to the airport; she watches the streetlights pass by without seeing them. The California air is stifling, even at three in the morning, and she shrugs out of her jacket, rolling down the window so the moving air blasts her in the face.

She had to get home.

* * *

 

She’s never been able to sleep well on planes, but as soon as she and Ward are in the air on the flight to DC, she crashes, hard. She manages to sleep the entire flight, only waking when her boyfriend shakes her awake just before descent. She fidgets all throughout security; thankfully the car Ward had rented while they’d been waiting for their flight was ready for them- she’s behind the wheel almost immediately, ready to go.

She takes the familiar streets almost too quickly, in her haste to reach the hospital. When she arrives, she recognizes her eldest brother’s car instantly- large and purple and with a giant arrow painted on the hood. The sight of it makes her lips curl upwards momentarily, before she remembers why she’s there. She parks quickly and throws open the door, leaving Ward chasing behind her as she heads for the front desk.

“Phil Coulson?” she asks the nurse on duty, gripping the edge of the desk. “I’m his daughter.”

The nurse’s eyes are sympathetic as she looks down to find his room; she directs Skye to the ICU waiting room, where she said other members of her family were waiting. She taps her foot throughout the whole elevator ride; Grant takes her hand, letting her cling to him, and she sighs, chest tight.

The elevator opens on their floor; they step out and round the corner, coming face to face with an almost-overstuffed waiting room. Both of her older brothers are there, respective girlfriends with them, as are both her uncles and aunts. Her mom is in the center of it all- she looks smaller; she looks fragile, and it terrifies Skye. Melinda Coulson was many things, but fragile wasn’t one of them.

“Mama,” Skye breathes; her mom stands, cheeks wet as she gathers her into her arms, hugging her tightly. “I got here as soon as I could.”

“He’s still in surgery,” Melinda said as she pulled away, wiping at her cheeks. “They said it could still be a couple of hours. Bobbi’s flying over tonight, and Sharon and Trip have a flight for mid-afternoon. The house isn’t-”

“We’ll go sort the house out,” her Aunt Peggy interrupts Melinda, laying a soft hand on her mom’s forearm. “If you get overcrowded Steve and I have more than enough spare rooms at ours. Call us as soon as there’s news, darling.”

Her mom nods, leaning into Peggy’s touch for a moment; Steve comes over and wraps her in a hug, whispering something in her ear that makes her smile briefly before he and Peggy depart, hand in hand. Skye finally looks over at her brothers; Nat is curled up on Clint’s left side, eyes closed, though Skye assumes the redhead isn’t asleep.

“So kid, who’s the boytoy?” Clint asks, nodding towards Ward; Skye’s eyes widen momentarily before she swallows. She reaches out, tugging him towards her as she rolls her eyes at her brother.

“This is Grant. My _boyfriend_ ,” she puts emphasis on the word, kicking Clint’s shin gently. “Be nice. I’d rather you didn’t scare him away like you did Miles, Clint.”

“Miles was a dick,” Clint points out, and Melinda turns to glare at him.

“We are in a hospital, watch your mouth Clinton.”

“Sorry Mom,” Clint said, looking genuinely sorry; Melinda deflates, sinking down on his free side and putting her face in her hands. Leo gets up from where he’s sitting next to his girlfriend Jemma and moves to her other side, wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

“It’s gonna be okay, Mom. Dad’s gonna be fine,” he reassures her softly, hand rubbing up and down her arm. “He’d never let a heart attack take him down.”

Melinda lets out a watery chuckle at that, taking her head out of her hands and offering her youngest son a half-smile, leaning over to press a kiss to his cheek. “Thank you, Leo.”

He smiled back at her, squeezing her shoulders gently as Clint held her hand.

“Anyone want coffee? I saw a shop across from the hospital,” Ward speaks up; Jemma stands up and offers to help, and Nat tags along, linking arms with Jemma as they leave with everyone’s orders.

“Quite a boyfriend you’ve got there, Skyelark,” her Uncle Tony pipes up from the corner where he and her Aunt Pepper were stretched out on a sofa.

“Yeah, he’s pretty great,” Skye murmured absentmindedly, watching him walk away; he turned to look back at her, giving her a smile, and she blushed slightly as she returned it, tucking her hair behind her ear.

“Look at her, she’s smitten,” Tony said, and Skye glared at him, throwing a magazine from the side table at him. “Control your child, Melinda.”

“I learned a long time ago I can’t control anything Skye does,” Melinda replied, amusement in her tone. “And I think you’re the one being childish, Anthony.”

“God you sound like my mother,” Tony said, hand on his chest and a look of mock-horror on his face. Melinda snorted, rolling her eyes. “Stop it, the similarities are killing me.”

“Be quiet Tony,” Pepper murmured sleepily where she had her head on his shoulder. “You’re being annoying.”

“Yes dear.”

“So Fitz, how’s Jemma?” Skye asked, crossing her legs underneath her as she looked up at her brother. He blushed slightly, looking down at his fingers in his lap before he spoke.

“I…uh, I actually proposed to her last week,” he replied quietly, and Skye let out a soft squeal, suddenly grinning. “And she said yes.”

“Oh honey,” Melinda said, cupping his face in both of her hands before she hugged him tightly. “Your dad is going to be so happy for you.”

“I am _so mad_ you didn’t tell me as soon as she said yes!” Skye said, nudging at his foot with her own with a fake glare. “But I’m so happy for you. You guys are going to be the grossest married couple ever. Aside from Mom and Dad, that is. No one can ever top them.”

Her mom smiled over at her, and even though her eyes were red and her hair was a mess, Skye couldn’t get over how beautiful she was.

She carefully signed “I love you” when no one else was looking; Clint had lost his hearing when he was in his teens for a period of time, and the whole family had picked up signing. Her mom’s smile softened at the gestured; she signed the words back before blowing her a kiss.

They sat quietly until Ward, Jemma, and Nat returned with the coffees; Grant slid down next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders as she settled into his side. Melinda took Jemma’s hand, examining the ring and pressing a kiss to the young science teacher’s cheek, telling her how excited she was to call her a daughter.

Skye was drifting off when the ICU doors open; she shoots up, reaching for her mom’s hand when the doctor reaches them.

“I take it you’re the Coulson family?” he asks, and when they all nod without hesitation, he continues. “He made it through surgery- it was touch and go a few times, as there was quite a lot of blockage in his arteries, but he’s a fighter.”

At that Melinda let out a choked little noise and Skye and Clint held her up between them, keeping her steady.

“We did a bypass; there’ll be quite a scar, but a change in diet and exercise and a regiment of blood pressure medications should stop this from happening again,” the doctor finishes, and they collectively let out a sigh of relief. “I can only allow two of you in at a time; he’s still sedated. Once he’s up and stable we’ll move him to his own room, where you can all see him.”

They look between themselves for a moment before Clint nudges Melinda and Skye.

“You guys go. Tell him we love him, and we’ll see him when he’s in his own room,” he says, Skye mouths a “thank you” at him and he winks, slinging an arm around Natasha’s shoulders as she snuggled into his side.

With their hands still linked, Melinda and Skye followed the doctor to the recovery room. Everything was white and sterile; as he led them to her dad’s bed, Skye held her breath. He looked small and pale, and it broke her heart. Her mom’s hands immediately reached for her dad’s, linking their fingers as she sank carefully into the chair beside his bed, brushing his hair off his forehead.

Skye sat on his other side, holding his opposite hand; they felt cold, and she rubbed hers over his, trying to warm them up. “Hi Daddy.”

He didn’t respond, but the continually steady beating of the machines soothed her slightly.

“Everyone wants them to know how much we love you,” she said quietly, playing with the hospital bracelet on his wrist. “Bobbi and Sharon and Trip and Abbey aren’t here yet but I know they love you too. We’re all here for you and we just want you to open your eyes as soon as possible.”

She watched quietly as her mom pressed a kiss to the side of her dad’s wrist; she didn’t say anything, she just kept his hand in hers and watched him, her eyes tracing his face. “He’s gonna be okay, Mom.”

“He has to,” her mom answered softly, raising tired eyes to meet hers. “I’m not sure how to do any of this by myself anymore. When you have someone as a partner for nearly forty years of your life, it’s hard to imagine living without him.”

Skye leaned across the bed, resting her fingers on her mom’s wrist gently as she wiped away new tears.

“I just need him to wake up and make some awful joke that I’d never laugh at if it wasn’t him making it,” she admits in a whisper and Skye chuckles under her breath. “When he started having chest pain last night, I could feel it in my own chest. I saw our entire life flash before my eyes, and it was terrifying.”

She swallowed, brushing her hair out of her face as she took a breath.

“Did I ever tell you the moment I knew I was in love with your father?” she asks, and Skye shakes her head, interest plain on her face as she sat up slightly. “We were sitting in this ridiculous philosophy class we were required to take. We’d stupidly taken an eight am class, thinking we could just get it out of the way. Anyway, we’re half asleep, sitting next to each other, listening to this god awful professor drone on and on about some theory or another. And I just kind of looked over at him and your dad just- he just gave me this smile like it didn’t matter where we were or what we were doing or who was around us, he was just happy to be there with me. _With me_. And that was when I realized how much I loved this ridiculous man who writes poems on napkins and randomly bursts into song in semi-public places.”

She laughed, a quiet noise, lips curled into a smile.

“Agreeing to marry him was the easiest thing I’ve ever done,” she finishes softly, fingertips stroking the back of Phil’s hand. “And I’ve never looked back.”

“Even when Dad brought home Bambino?” Skye asked, and Melinda rolled her eyes, smile still soft.

“Yeah. Even when your dad brought the dog home.”

* * *

 

After sitting for a while, Skye left to go update everyone, and to see if Sharon’s flight had left yet.

Melinda sat quietly with her husband; she watched his chest move rhythmically with his breaths, felt his skin slightly warm at her touch. The doctor had returned to tell her he should be waking from the sedation at any moment, and had left a cup of ice chips if he was thirsty.

“Phillip Jacob Coulson, you better open those pretty baby blues soon or else you are not seeing me naked for the next year,” she said quietly, eyes lingering on his fingers entwined with hers.

“Not…fair,” came the raspy reply, and her head shot up as she stood up, fingers gentle on her husband’s face.

“Phil?” she asked softly, touching his cheek gently as his eyes fluttered, opening briefly before closing again. “Can you open your eyes?”

“Hurts,” he whispered, voice hoarse, and Melinda’s heart clenched.

“You just had surgery, you’re in the hospital. Let me go get the nurse,” Melinda said, but as she turned to go, she felt his fingers curl against her wrist.

“So-sorry,” he rasped out, eyes now open and looking at her earnestly. She leaned down, touching her forehead to his and blinking back tears.

“I thought I was losing you, Phil,” she whispered, voice thick.

“Ne-never,” he replied, tongue darting out to lick his lips. “I never w-want to leave you.”

“I love you,” Melinda replied, kissing his lips lightly. “I have to go find the nurse. I’ll be right back.”

She squeezed his fingers before heading for the nurses’ station, sighing in relief. He was awake. They could conquer everything else as they always had.

Together.


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She’d forgotten how white hospitals were.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't mean for there to be a month between updates but April pretty much just passed me by somehow. Hopefully it won't be too long between updates in the future!

She’d forgotten how white hospitals were.

It’d been years since she’d been in one; not since Sharon had had Abbey two and a half years ago. But as she watched as the nurse went through all of Phil’s vitals and listened to his breathing, she remembered how much she’d always disliked them. The walls were too white, the noise too hushed, the air too recycled.

“Everything looks good- they’re prepping a room now, so you’ll be able to see the rest of your family soon,” the nurse said as she made a final note on her clipboard, smiling at them. “I just have to grab some orderlies to come move you. I’ll be right back.”

She slipped out of the curtains without another word and Melinda relaxed, sitting on the edge of her husband’s bed. “I hate hospitals.”

Phil snorts, twining their fingers together and squeezing gently. “You’re not even the patient.”

“Like that matters,” she replies with a roll of her eyes, standing when the curtains were pushed open by two young men in scrubs.

“We’re here to take you to your room, Mr. Coulson,” one of them said, and Phil put on a mock-horrified face.

“Mr. Coulson was my father. Call me Phil, boys,” he said, and Melinda’s lips curled into a smile at his words. She followed them as they headed for the elevator; she texted the room number they’d placed him in to Skye, knowing she’d bring the whole family. As soon as she sent it she got a text from Clint, and she grinned upon opening it, catching her husband’s gaze. “I know that smile. Who’s home?”

“Sharon, Trip and Abbey just got here,” she said, showing him the picture of their granddaughter Clint had sent. Phil’s face lit up at the sight of his only grandchild, and he reached for her hand, squeezing her fingers.

“She’s gotten so big since Christmas,” he commented as the orderlies pushed his bed out of the elevator, turning the corner.

“That’s what happens when six months go by and she doesn’t come home,” Melinda said with a soft sigh, breathing a sigh of relief at the quiet, single room they’d placed Phil in. “Bobbi said she’d be here sometime tomorrow morning; Peggy and Steve are picking her up from the airport.”

“All it took was a heart attack to get all of our kids under the same roof again,” Phil replies, and she knows he’s trying to make a joke of it, but the thought of losing him is still too raw and she feels her eyes burn as her breath catches in her chest.

“Don’t joke, Phil,” she whispers, voice rough as she struggles to control herself. “I almost lost you.”

“Hey, hey, hey,” he said, snagging her wrist and tugging her into him, one hand slipping to her waist as the other cupped her cheek, thumb brushing along her skin as he looked up at her. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to make light of it. But I’m fine, I’m here. I’m not going anywhere, and I could never leave you for very long. I love you.”

Her eyes searched his for a moment before leaning down to press her lips to his; his hand slipping up from her cheek to slide into her hair, fingers twisting in the dark strands to keep her close to him.

“God Mom Dad _just_ got out of surgery and you’re already sucking his face off.”

“Oh shut up Clint.”

Melinda turned at the sound of her second eldest daughter’s voice, beaming when the blonde pushed past her brothers to throw herself into her mother’s arms. “Oh Mama I missed you.”

“I missed you too baby,” she replied, pressing kisses into her hair. “I am so happy to see you.”

“I’m sorry it took so long, I had to get leave and we had to pack for Abs and-” Sharon started to ramble but Melinda cut her off with a gentle finger over her lips.

“You’re here. That’s all that matters,” she whispered, squeezing her shoulders. Sharon gave her a watery smile, slipping her arm through her mom’s as they turned towards Phil’s bed, where the rest of the family had gathered. Abbey had been deposited onto Phil’s bed and she was curled up on his side, giggling as he pulled silly faces at him.

The room was overcrowded and a little stuffy, but Melinda had never been happier. Almost all of her babies were back under one room, save Bobbi, who would be there tomorrow- she couldn’t ask for anything more than her whole family, together and safe.

“So do they know what caused it?” Skye asked from where she was perched at the end of her dad’s bed, letting Natasha play with her hair.

“I think my lunch meetings at Loki’s Burger Barn will be ending for the foreseeable future,” he replies, and Melinda rolls her eyes as Sharon laughs. “The doctor said there was a blockage in my heart and the arteries around it and that’s what caused a massive heart attack.”

“But the doctor also said that he managed to get most of the blockage out and that with a change in diet and throwing in some exercise, he’ll be just fine,” Melinda continued, noticing the look on their children’s faces. “They’ll keep him in the hospital for a few days, make sure everything’s fine, and then we’ll take him home and everything will be back to normal.”

“I’m fine, guys,” Phil says when the room stays silent, kids exchanging nervously glances. “I’m sorry I scared you all, and I promise it won’t happen again. At least I get to see all my kids in one place for once.”

“Can we maybe not do this at a hospital, next time?” Clint asked, raising his shoulders in a shrug. “I mean, it’s just a suggestion.”

“I’ll take it into consideration,” Phil replied, catching Abbey as she tried to climb over the hospital bed rail, securing her in his lap, wincing slightly as her hand connected with the center of his chest.

“Dad, let me take her,” Skye said, shifting from her position at the foot of the bed and reaching for her niece, but Phil shook his head, shifting her slightly to the left.

“She’s fine, Skye,” he said, running his hand over Abbey’s back as she snuggled against him. “I haven’t seen my granddaughter in six months and we have a lot of time to make up for, thank you very much. I need all the daycare gossip.”

“Daddy,” Sharon said, rolling her eyes as she reached into the bag slung over Trip’s shoulder; she pulled out a small stuffed zebra and gave it to Abbey.

“Zoo!” she cried out happily, snuggling the animal to her chest and leaning back against her grandfather, lifting the toy into his face. “Zoo, g’mpa.”

“Zoo’s her new favorite word,” Trip supplied at the confused look on Phil’s face as he took the stuffed animal from his granddaughter at her insistent pushing of it against his face. “We took her a few weekends ago and it’s all she can talk about anymore.”

“Good pick, kid,” Clint said, leaning over and tickling the soles of Abbey’s feet, grinning at the happy giggles she let out. “So Dad, Leo’s got some news.”

“Oh?” Phil asked, sitting up slightly and turning in interest to his younger son. Fitz’s ears flushed as he reached for Jemma’s hand, looking down at her fondly before he looked up at his dad.

“We’re getting married,” he said as Jemma pressed into his side; Phil’s lips parted slightly before his face split into a grin, eyes growing wet.

“C’mere,” Phil said, reaching out; Fitz leaned down, hugging his father tightly. “I’m so proud of you, son.”

“Thanks, Dad,” Fitz said as he pulled away, running a hand over Abbey’s head as Jemma leaned down to kiss Phil’s cheek, letting him admire the ring as Fitz picked Abbey up, passing her to Melinda, who eagerly cradled her granddaughter to her chest.

“Aunt Pepper said to pass on their well-wishes,” Skye said, looking up from her phone and nudging her dad’s knee through the blankets. “She and Uncle Tony had to get home to make sure August was okay, and she said they checked on Bambino and she made some food so there’s something for us to eat tonight.”

“I was just going to make you get a pizza, so thank your aunt,” Melinda said, rocking gently side to side as Abbey snuggled into her chest. She looked over at Phil; he looked tired, fighting to keep his eyes open- she knew he’d never willingly tell the kids to leave even if he was exhausted, so it fell to her. “I think this one’s about to fall asleep- the travel crib is still in the spare room, Sharon, and you and Trip can stay in there. Clint, we haven’t touched your room yet, so you and Natasha are more than welcome to stay at the house.”

“I thought my room was being made into a gym,” he said, looking up from where he was tracing patterns into Natasha’s forearm. Melinda rolled her eyes, letting Sharon take a drowsy Abbey from her arms.

“Like that’ll ever actually happen,” Sharon replied, sarcasm thick in her voice as she soothed her daughter with a gentle hand on her back.

“Grant was looking at hotels-” Skye started, but Melinda shook her head, cutting her off.

“Your room is the same, and the bed in the pull-out couch is quite comfortable,” she said, and Phil frowned as he sat up.

“Who is Grant?” he asked, and Skye blushed, tucking her hair behind her ear and avoiding her father’s gaze.

“He’s her _boyfriend_ ,” Clint supplied, getting a smack on the arm from his girlfriend at the tone of his voice. Phil’s frown deepened, and Melinda rolled her eyes as Skye patted his knee soothingly.

“You can meet him when you’re home, Daddy. He’s really great,” she said, leaning forward and pressing a kiss to his cheek. “I love you. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“I love you too, sweetheart,” he said, cupping her cheek briefly before letting her go; there were a flurry of goodbyes as slowly the room emptied, until it was just Phil and Melinda once again. “How tired did I look?”

“Exhausted,” she murmured as she slid off her shoes and climbed into the bed next to him, slipping under the blankets. “You did have a massive heart attack and then open heart surgery today. You’re allowed to be tired, honey.”

“I’ve just missed them,” he said softly, fingers running through her hair as she curled into his side. “They’re all so grown up and doing so well on their own and yet there are still times when I look at them and all I can see is the gap-toothed smile they used to give me when they were five and wanted ice cream before dinner.”

“They’re always going to be our babies,” Melinda replied, tilting her head back on his shoulder until she could see his eyes. “But they are all happy, healthy, successful adults thanks to us, and we have a lot to be proud of. And they love you so much, Phil. They were all really scared today, but they were strong enough for me to depend on when I started to fall apart.”

“We did a good job,” he murmured into her temple, lips pressing a kiss to her skin. “I love you, Lin.”

“I love you too,” she whispered back, hand coming up to cup his cheek, thumb brushing along his lower lip as she smiled up at him. “Get some sleep. I’m not going anywhere.”

He responded to her words by pressing a kiss to the pad of her thumb, arm wrapping tighter around her as his eyes slid shut, a soft sigh escaping his lips.

The exhaustion of the day caught up to Melinda as she watched her husband sleep, and soon enough she’d drifted off as well, content in the knowledge that her husband wasn’t going anywhere for the moment.


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The last of the Coulson girls comes home, and Sharon has some news for her mom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry about how long this chapter took- I've been having some trouble writing and I've recently started working full time, but I'm hoping to try to finish the last three chapters relatively soon, and start on the sequel. Thanks for sticking with this story!

“Mom, _go home_ ,” Skye said, firmly but gently, her hands planted on her mom’s shoulders. “Take a shower, eat something, put on fresh clothes- we can handle Dad for a couple of hours, I promise.”

Melinda hesitated, and Sharon piped up from where she was taking a squirming Abbey from Phil. “I’ll even drive you home, Mom, I’ll cook while you shower, and we’ll be back here before you even know it.”

“I’ll be fine, Lin,” Phil reassured her when Sharon’s words failed to fully sway her. “I feel fine, it’s only a few hours at most, and you deserve sleep that isn’t on a shitty hospital bed.”

Melinda sighed, defeated; she moved over to Phil, cupping his cheek lightly before leaning down, kissing him softly. “You know I don’t sleep well without you.”

“Alright, alright, get out of here before you dissolve into a pile of mush,” Skye said, affection in her voice as she rolled her eyes, shooing her towards the door. “Send Grant in when you leave, I want Dad to meet him. And if Clint and Nat are around, them too; maybe Dad won’t kill him if they’re here.”

Sharon and Melinda left the room to Phil’s scoff at his youngest’s accusations, Abbey hitched up on Sharon’s hip. Waiting outside the door were Ward, Clint and Natasha, and Steve, leaning against the wall and letting Natasha rest against his leg.

“You guys can head in,” Melinda said, accepting the hug Clint tugged her into, rubbing her son’s back. Natasha pecked her cheek, and Steve touched her arm as he passed; Ward hung behind, and Melinda gave him a small smile. “You too, Grant. Phil wants to meet you officially.”

The tall man’s face paled, but he nodded after swallowing, moving past her into the room; Sharon nudged her gently. “Come on, Mom; let’s go.”

Melinda followed her daughter to the elevators; Abbey continued to squirm, face contorting in the beginnings of a tantrum. Sharon sighed, shifting her daughter upwards and attempting to calm her; the first strains of a high cry started and Melinda stepped in, arms out.

“Let me take her, Sharon,” she said softly, shifting the whimpering toddler onto her hip, rubbing her back softly. “You look tired.”

“I am,” Sharon sighed, rubbing at her temples. “They don’t call it the terrible twos for nothing.”

Melinda merely smiled, bouncing Abbey slightly as the elevator reached the ground floor, following Sharon out to the parking lot. She didn’t argue when Sharon got into the driver’s seat; she strapped Abbey in, handing the toddler her zebra toy before getting in up front with Sharon. She leaned her head back against the headrest, letting her eyes slip closed as her daughter navigated the familiar streets home.

She didn’t realized she’d dozed off until she awoke to Sharon gently shaking her shoulder; she blinked her eyes open to the sight of the garage door and Abbey’s soft, content babbling in the backseat. “We’re home, Mom.”

Melinda nodded tiredly, getting out of the car and heading to unlock the door as Sharon got Abbey out of the car; the soft hum of the air conditioning as she opened it was familiar and comforting, a small piece of normalcy for the first time in days.

“Go shower, I’ll see what’s in the kitchen,” Sharon said after she’d shut the door behind her, depositing Abbey into the playpen in the center of the living room and flicking the television on to something with dancing numbers and letters. Melinda watched her granddaughter nod her head along to the catchy tune for a few moments before she headed upstairs, fingers trailing along the bannister.

She takes her time showering; she puts on a comfortable pair of sweats and one of Phil’s old, worn t-shirts that smells like him no matter how often she washes it. She blow dries her hair before she goes downstairs; it smells like peppers and onions and Melinda steps into the kitchen to the sound of frying vegetables and chicken.

“Smells good sweetheart,” she said as she took a seat at the breakfast bar, accepting the cup of tea Sharon hands her gratefully. “You are my only child who manages to make my tea right.”

Sharon gave her a wink and a half-smile, turning back to the food; Melinda watched her cook quietly, the noise from the television filtering in from the living room.

“Do you want to talk about what’s wrong?” she finally asked after Sharon had pushed the plate of food across the counter to her, picking at her own plate half-heartedly. The blonde looked up at her, and Melinda reached over, tucking her daughter’s hair behind her ear and touching her cheek gently.

“I’m pregnant again,” she finally admits softly, gaze dropping to her fingers.

“I take it this wasn’t planned,” Melinda said neutrally, and Sharon nods quickly, raising a hand to rub at the back of her neck.

“I was going to sign up for another tour,” she replies, swallowing before she raised her eyes to look at her mom. “I found out last week during my physical and I was shocked. I- I haven’t been able to tell Trip yet. I don’t...I don’t know if we can afford another baby, or if I even want another child right now.”

Tears slip down Sharon’s cheeks and she rushes to wipe them away, chest catching on a sob.

“I must be a terrible mother, for thinking like this,” she whispers, lower lip trembling. Melinda just looked at her for a few moments before she leaned forward, placing one hand over Sharon’s.

“When your father and I got married and started talking about kids, we always seemed to land on the number four,” she started quietly. “We got pregnant with your older sister almost immediately, and within five years we had the four kids we’d dreamed of- two girls, two boys. Symmetrical.”

She pauses, swallowing, before continuing.

“When we found out I was pregnant with Skye four years later, we didn’t know what to do. We’d thought we were done,” Melinda says, lifting a hand to brush away the tears from Sharon’s cheek. “We didn’t know what to do, until we went for the ultrasound.”

Melinda looked down, tucking a few strands of hair behind her ear before she looked up again, meeting Sharon’s eyes. “The moment we heard her heartbeat, we knew what our decision was- what our decision had always been, from the moment we’d found out. She may have been an accident, but Skye is the best accident to ever happen to this family. I couldn’t imagine our life without our baby. But the most important thing is that your father and I made the decision _together_. You can’t do this by yourself, honey, and you don’t have to. You have to talk to Trip so you can do this as a team, together.”

The tears that had been forming in Sharon’s eyes again slid down, and Melinda rounded the counter to pull her daughter into her arms. “I love you so much, Sharon. No matter what.”

“I love you too,” Sharon whispered, clinging to her tighter. Melinda kissed the side of her head, rubbing her back.

“It’s going to be okay. I promise.”

* * *

 

Melinda wakes from her nap disoriented; the front door shuts loudly and she jumps, sitting up straight and pushing the covers off. She rubs her hand over her face wearily, glancing at the clock; she’d managed about four hours of sleep, which was better than the night before. She pads out of her bedroom, wrapping a sweater around herself as she heads for the stairs; she’s just reached the top of them when she hears a gasp of “Mom!” before a blonde head trips its way up the stairs in a rush to hug her, arms tight around her waist as her tallest, eldest taller wrapped herself around her.

“Oh Bobbi, baby,” Melinda murmured, holding her tightly. “I am so happy you’re here.”

“I got here as fast as I could,” Bobbi said, pulling away and letting her mom brush her tangled blonde curls out of her face, hands cupping her cheeks. “How’s Dad?”

“He’s going to be fine,” Melinda promised, hands falling to rest on Bobbi’s shoulders. “He’s awake and talking and the doctors have said it looks good; he just has to eat better and try to exercise some more and he’ll live until he’s old and gray.”

“He’s already old and gray,” Clint teased from where he was sprawled out on the couch, Natasha curled up and sound asleep beside him, feet in Sharon’s lap as the blonde absentmindedly stroked over her legs.

“I’m telling him you said that,” Skye said, licking dip off her finger as she walked into the room, a plate of chips in her hand. “Did you get some sleep, Mom?”

“I did,” Melinda answered, arm still around Bobbi as they descended the stairs, joining the rest of the family in the living room. Natasha shifted sleepily, nose brushing against Clint’s shoulder as he helped her sit up, cuddling into him as Skye sat next to her, letting the redhead lean into her as Clint let Bobbi settle on the arm of the couch on his other side. “Where’s Ward, Skye?”

“He apparently got a hotel room. Said he ‘felt like he was intruding’ or some dumb shit like that,” Skye said, shrugging as she scooped dip onto a chip and popped it into her mouth. “I told him I was going out with Sharon and Bob tonight anyway, so he said he’d pick me up for breakfast before we went back to the hospital. Speaking of which- the doctor said Dad looks good, he should be able to come home within the next few days.”

“Good,” Melinda said with relief, shoulders loosening. “Are your brother and Jemma still at the hospital?”

“Yeah, we’re heading over to relieve them and Trip in a little bit, since there’ll only be about half an hour more of visiting hours,” Clint answered and Natasha nodded, letting Skye braid her hair. “We can drive you, if you want, Mom.”

“I’ll just make a cup of tea before we go,” she replied, touching Bobbi’s shoulder before she disappeared into the kitchen.

“So I figured we’d go to the Raina’s Bar,” Skye said, tying off Natasha’s braid before she turned to look between Sharon and Bobbi.

“I’ll drive,” Sharon said, looking up from picking at her nails, and Skye beams; Bobbi nods, lips in the barest trace of a smile. Clint looks between his sisters while Nat rests her head on Skye’s shoulder.

“So Bob, where’s Hunter?” he asked, looking at his older sister with a raised eyebrow. Bobbi dropped her gaze, chewing on her lower lip as she avoided her brother’s question.

“Not here,” she finally answered, voice soft. She’s saved from saying anything else by Melinda returning with her tea in a travel mug; Clint and Natasha grab their shoes, and within a few minutes it’s just the three sisters alone on the couch.

“C’mon. Let’s go get drunk,” Skye said, looping her arm through Bobbi’s.

* * *

 

Raina’s Bar was one of the more respectable in down; the owner was constantly in floral dresses and flirting with the men in her establishment. She was quick with a smile and had a tongue like a thorn, but she stocked good liquor and the bathrooms were always clean, so it was a favorite in town.

Skye got them a table near the back, coming back from the bar with six shots and lime slices, holding the tray above her head as she made her way back to her sisters. “Top shelf tequila. Thank my new job.”

“I’m not drinking tonight, Skye,” Sharon said, declining the shot her younger sister pushed towards her. Skye raised an eyebrow curiously.

“We’ll be here for more than an hour. One shot won’t hurt,” she replied, and Sharon shook her head, tucking her blonde hair behind her ear.

“I can’t drink,” she says, pausing momentarily. “I’m pregnant again.”

Skye claps her hands over her mouth, eyes bright with excitement as she grins, squealing happily. “I’m gonna be an auntie again??”

“I don’t know,” Sharon whispers, gaze dropping to her fingers in her lap. “I’m not sure if I’m keeping it.”

“You don’t know if you’re keeping it?” Bobbi asks, and there’s something about her voice that’s hollow; Skye looks at her, forehead crinkling in concern. “God, Sharon.”

“I’m just being honest, Barbara,” Sharon snapped back, gripping her glass of water tightly. “I have a two year old, and I was supposed to go on another tour, and Trip still isn’t back at work and kids are _expensive_ \- not that you would know.”

“Guys-”

“You’re right Sharon. I wouldn’t know. Because _I can’t have kids_ ,” Bobbi choked out, eyes rimmed red. She knocked back a shot, barely even wincing at the burn in her throat. Skye’s eyes widened, lips parting, as Bobbi gave a harsh laugh laced with bitterness. “I finally found out why I’ve never gotten pregnant all these years. It’s because I can’t. Thus proving I’m truly not cut out to be a mom.”

“Bobbi…” Skye said softly, hand reaching over to squeeze her elder sister’s forearm; Bobbi’s free hand raised another shot to her mouth, quickly followed by a third. “Maybe you should slow down-”

“My husband won’t fucking divorce me even though he deserves to be a dad, my incredibly fertile sister might not even keep the baby she’s pregnant with, my dad had a heart attack while I was across the god damn ocean, and my entire life feels like it’s falling apart, I’m not going to fucking slow down,” Bobbi interrupted, reaching for her fourth shot and downing it, spilling some of the clear liquid down her chin. Sharon and Skye exchanged a sad look before turning back to their sister.

It was going to be a long night.


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You’re frowning.”  
> “You’re supposed to be resting,” Melinda says, not looking up from scrolling through her phone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am ashamed at myself for abandoning this fic for nearly a year- but thank you to the anon who asked about it, because I somehow wrote over 3k words of it today! I promise to try to not let so long go between updates, and enjoy!

“Is the ice machine broken in here or is that just the temperature of the room?” Clint asks as he walks into the kitchen, where Skye, Sharon, and Bobbi were studiously ignoring each other despite sitting at the same kitchen table. Bobbi’s face was hidden by a pair of large black sunglasses as she took large gulps of her coffee from the grumpy cat mug Clint had given their dad for Christmas, and Skye kept taking small sips of the dark liquid, face contorting each time she swallowed. “Good god Skye, stop drinking the sludge Bob calls coffee and quit makin’ that face.”

Skye threw a glare at him, but pushed away the mug quickly, causing Sharon to roll her eyes affectionately, picking up the half-full mug and bringing it to the sink with her own cup of tea. Clint came to stand beside her, speaking lowly. “What’s with World War III between the Coulson sisters?”

“Please don’t ask, Clint,” is all the blonde said, washing out the mugs before tugging open the dishwasher and setting them inside with the other breakfast dishes. “I’m going to see Mom and Dad with Trip and Abbey; Jess called this morning, there’s a problem at the gym so she asked if you and Nat could stop by at some point today. We’re doing Leo and Jemma’s engagement party tonight, once Dad gets home- everyone’s coming, so we need food. I don’t care from where, I don’t care how it happens, but you and Nat and Kate and Jess are in charge of it, we need it by 6.”

“Yes ma’am,” Clint said with a mock salute, an amused smirk tugging up the corners of his mouth. “Give Abs a kiss for me, will ya?”

Sharon nodded, squeezing his bicep before leaving the kitchen; Clint filled up his mug to the brim with coffee before looking at Skye and jerking his head towards the door. “C’mon Skyebeam. Let’s get Nat and I’ll take you to the gym- you’re gonna love the new earthquake simulator training machine we’re testing out for Uncle Tony.”

Skye nodded, jumping up from her seat and following her brother out of the kitchen, leaving Bobbi alone, staring at the last dregs of coffee in the bottom of her mug. “All alone. Again. How typical.”

_

“You’re frowning.”

“You’re supposed to be resting,” Melinda says, not looking up from scrolling through her phone.

“I don’t need to have my eyes open to know when you’re upset,” Phil says, rolling over carefully- though he was unable to stop the small gasp of pain when he landed on his back, features crinkling in pain as Melinda looked up, her own expression pained in sympathy. She moved closer to his bed, and his fingers caught her wrist; he tugged gently until she laid down beside him, noses nearly brushing as they lay face to face in the small bed. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

“The girls are fighting,” Melinda said with a sigh, hands coming up to gently stroke over his face, fingers tracing the lines that had formed over the years. “Something happened when they went out last night and the boys are trying to get them to talk, but so far no one’s budging.”

“Would they be our girls if they did?” Phil asked, tone laced with amusement, and Melinda rolled her eyes, though the smile on her lips took away the ire of the motion. “They’ll sort it out, Lin. They always have in the past, and it’s been awhile since they’ve been together. And I’ll try to talk to Bobbi- you know she takes after me a little.”

“A little?” Melinda snorted, covering her mouth with her hand to laugh, and Phil looked mildly offended at the sound. “Phil, our eldest is literally a mini version of you, and she has been since she was four and announced she was never getting married because she had to be the best biologist in the world. And I love that our baby has always wanted to be you, but you both have the hardest heads in the entire world.”

To take the sting from her words, she pressed a soft kiss to his forehead, twining her fingers with his. As Phil opened his mouth, Melinda’s phone went off, and with a sigh she reached over to grab it as Phil’s hand slid to rest at her waist. “Hello?”

“Melinda? It’s Betty. I know this is horrible timing, but we’ve hit a snag in the Maximoff case and we could really use your help,” Phil could hear the lead lawyer at their firm through the speaker on his wife’s phone, worry coloring her tone. The main case their law firm was currently working on was a case of two twins who had been abandoned; their abusive father was attempting to sue for custody in the wake of their mother dying, and they’d taken the case on after it had been brought to their attention that the twins’ remaining family didn’t have the funds for a lawyer.

“Have you called Thor already?” Melinda asked, and he could feel the hesitation in her voice; he rubbed his thumb gently over her hipbone as she rubbed at the skin between her eyes in frustration at what must have been confirmation on the end. “I have to see if one of the kids can stay with Phil. I’ll be there in an hour.”

Phil took the phone from Melinda before she could throw it, and she sighed, turning her head into the pillow and letting out a muffled curse. “Babe, I’ll be fine. Go. This case is important.”

“It’s not more important than you,” she says, bringing her face out of the fabric and leaning into the hand he brought up to cup her face, tucking her hair behind her ear.

“The doctor cleared me to go home tonight, it’s only for a few hours, and you’re clearly going to send one of our kids to babysit. Go fix the case like you always do, say hi to Betty for me, and make sure Carol didn’t burn the coffee pot. Again,” Phil said, managing to drag a smile out of Melinda. “I love you, Lin.”

“I know,” she murmured, leaning down to kiss him. “I love you. I’ll send Sharon, tell her to bring Abs, okay?”

“Okay. Call me once everything’s sorted out,” he said as she grabbed her things and left the room, scrubbing a hand over his face. Once he’s alone, he lets out the groan of pain he’d been holding in, fingers pressing against the side of his chest as he hit the call button.

_

When Melinda arrives at their law offices, one of their top lawyers, Thor Odinson, was already there on the phone. His wife, Jane, and their toddler Gigi were there as well, and the brunette scientist smiled at Melinda with a small wave. Gigi beamed, toddling over to Melinda and lifting her arms; Melinda melted, scooping the little girl up and hugging her tightly, nose buried in her strawberry-scented hair.

“What have we got?” she asked once Gigi had returned to her mother’s arms, rubbing at the back of her neck as Thor laid out the documents that had been sent over. They’re working through some of them when Betty comes in- she’s got coffees and three huge manila envelopes in her hands, and Melinda stands to take the folders from her as she hands out the styrofoam cups. Even for a Saturday she looks elegant- long dark hair tied up in a perfect knot, clean pantsuit, but she’s got a faded Raider’s t-shirt on under her suit jacket, and lacks the usual heels, instead in a pair of faded tennis shoes.

“So I did some more digging into the father’s past- Erik isn’t quite the hero his layers are painting him to be,” Betty tells them, picking up one of the folders and pulling out a few documents.

Melinda half-listens, skimming through the pages and frowning at the actions of the man who dared to call himself a father. Her thoughts skipped back to her husband and how he would never- _could_ never- treat any of their children the way this man had. Phil was the world’s best father- he made pancakes for all their kids’ birthdays and went to every sporting event and proofread every single essay for them. He’d be as appalled by this man’s actions as her if he was here, and that was why they took cases like this.

When they’d started this law firm back in the 90’s, they’d faced a lot of scorn and heavy criticism. They’d worked for a larger firm, Pierce & Sons, for about two years, but they’d both had conflicts with the head of the firm, Alexander Pierce, and couldn’t agree with any of his so-called mantras. When they’d told him that they’d be needing time off after they’d discovered Melinda was pregnant for the first time, his unsupportive reaction had been all they’d needed to walk out the door.

They’d had a decent amount of money saved- Phil had most of his inheritance left, and Melinda’s parents gave them a loan so they could lease the building they’d chosen for their firm. A lot of weekends were spend with Steve and Peggy stripping the building and painting walls- Melinda spent that time building a small group of clients, since Phil refused to let his seventh month pregnant wife anywhere near the paint fumes.

May & Coulson’s Law Firms opened its doors two weeks before Barbara Morse Coulson made her way into the world, and while they’d all had their ups and downs, it had flourished. They’d hired Thor almost straight away as a clerk, and Betty had been their first choice when she’d graduated from Harvard Law, with high recommendations from a former professor of theirs. In the early days, Bobbi and Sharon and Clint were often there with them, either reading or playing with each other while Phil and Melinda worked. It hadn’t been easy, but it was worth it to see how much good they’d been doing.

They’d hired more staff over the years- Carol had been their clerk for years, and after they’d helped Jessica, she came and did secretarial work for them when she wasn’t working with Clint and Nat at the gym, and they’d hired a high school kid, Gwen, to do some afternoon secretary work when things were quieter.

Melinda was proud of the work she and Phil had done; proud of their firm, proud of their team. They’d almost always made it how for dinner with their kids, and they’d always been there to read a bedtime story, even if they were going back to the office to do more case prep that night.

She’s torn from her thoughts by Betty’s voice- she has the dark haired woman repeat her question, and she mulls it over before she answers, pointing out a few things she’d noticed in a police report filed by Erik’s neighbors. Betty nods, a crease forming between her eyebrows- she jots down a few notes, highlighting what Melinda’s pointed out on a photocopy of the report in bright yellow.

“How are the twins?” Melinda asked after they’d finished up what they could, the roadblock from earlier solved and their case a little more solid.

“They’re still with their aunt- she said they’ve started sleeping again,” Thor informs her, picking his daughter up when she meandered over to him, placing her in his lap. “So far Erik hasn’t asked to see them, but there’s a police guard on the house at all times just to be safe.”

“Good,” Melinda replies, glancing down at her watch and widening her eyes at the time. “Oh crap I’m late- good work, guys. I won’t be in until Thursday, once Phil’s settled, but if you need anything feel free to call. Fill Carol in tomorrow and have her look up that neighbor- we might have to call him as a character witness.”

She smiles at them, tapping Gigi’s cheek as she leaves- she waves to Jane on her way out, taking the last sip of her coffee as she heads to the car. She doesn’t bother heading to the hospital- they’d discharged Phil an hour ago, which meant Sharon must have driven him home. He’d be at home waiting, and that though eased her worries.

Thankfully there’s not much traffic, and when she pulls into the driveway, she can see all the kids’ cars, along with Steve and Peggy’s, and Tony and Pepper’s- and Maria’s, which is a shock. No one had been able to reach her the day of Phil’s heart attack, and Melinda feels the anger spill through her chest again, red and hot. She swallows, parking, and grabs her bag as she steps out of the car, heading for the front door.

There’s music playing when she pushes inside, face softening at the sight of all of her family in one room that wasn’t a hospital. Phil was on the couch, dressed in sweats- he looked tired but alert, and her heart thudded in her chest as she made her way over to him. His face lit up at the sight of her, and she dropped down next to him, curling up against him as he kissed her forehead, arm tight around her waist.

“Hi,” she whispered against his neck, kissing his skin softly as his hand stroked up her back.

“The case okay?” he asked softly, and she nodded, not wanting to talk about work. “I’m okay, Lin. I promise.”

“Just hold me for a little bit to remind me, okay?” was all she could say in response, and he held her tighter, lips against her hairline as she closed her eyes, breathing him in.

The moment was broken by a pair of tiny hands patting Melinda’s knees; she opened them to find Abbey beaming up at her, and she grinned scooping her granddaughter up into her lap and smothering her in kisses. “Hello Abbey-ka-dabby.”

“Hey Mom- everything okay at work?” Sharon asked, coming to sit in the armchair across from the couch, Trip following and sitting on the arm of the chair, beer in hand. Melinda nodded, letting Abbey tangle their fingers together as she sighed.

“Just another abusive dad who thinks he can be someone’s father just because he’s blood,” she answers, feeling Phil tense beside her in anger that she felt. “But we’ll get him, and the kids will stay with their aunt. We’ve done our research and our team is good. Betty’s trying the case and she’s the best.”

Phil’s fingers spread over her back just as she hears the familiar click of too-expensive heels- she carefully places Abbey next to Phil before she turns around. Phil’s baby sister Maria was striding into the living room like she owned the place, and Melinda felt the anger from earlier bubble up.

“You always could show up for a party,” Melinda says, voice surprisingly mild for how angry she felt- the brunette paused, managing to look contrite as Phil placed a warning hand on his wife’s hip. “Where were you Maria?”

“Melinda-” Melinda shakes her head when she tries to speak, lips pressing together.

“Where. Were. You,” she asks again, voice dangerously low. “While your brother was having a god damn heart attack?”

Phil places his hands over Abbey’s ears at that, and at this point the rest of the kids have spilled into the room with them- Tony is in the doorway, phone out and obviously recording, but Melinda doesn’t care. She’s angry and overtired and the stress of the whole ordeal had finally asserted its weight on her shoulders.

Maria, for once, looks genuinely crushed for the first time, and Melinda swallows, shaking her head. Maria’s lip trembles, and she stiffens her spine, straightening her shoulders.

“I was away with the man I’m seeing. I didn’t have my phone with me. I’m sorry I wasn’t reachable, and I feel terrible,” she starts, and something in Melinda just deflates, all the anger draining from her as she just collapsed onto the couch. Her shoulders start to shake, and Phil hands Abbey off to Sharon as he pulls Melinda into his chest.

“I’m sorry,” she whispers, voice thick with tears, and Phil just rubs her back; Skye comes to sit at her mom’s feet, fingers stroking over her knee, and Bobbi sits on her other side, holding her mom’s hand. Clint leans down to press a kiss to the top of his mom’s head, squeezing her shoulders lightly.

“It took 48 hours for you to cry so I win the bet,” he whispers, and Melinda gives a watery laugh at that, rubbing at her eyes. “And I made you laugh first! That’s two bets and I’m the winner. Pay up, sisters.”

“You are such a child,” Bobbi says, shaking her head, but there’s fondness in her voice as she pulls out a twenty.

Melinda wipes the tears from her cheeks and strokes over Skye’s hair, frowning at the sad look on her baby’s face. “What’s wrong, baby?”

“Grant left,” she said, mouth twisting into a line, and Melinda’s eyebrows knit together. “He said he couldn’t handle my family actually getting along and liking each other and he felt uncomfortable. So I broke up with him.”

“Oh honey,” she said, stroking Skye’s cheek; her daughter shrugged, clutching her mom’s hand.

“It’s okay. He was kind of a crappy boyfriend anyway, and he has this weird octopus obsession,” she answers, resting her head on Melinda’s knee. “This might mean I have to move back home.”

“Your bedroom’s the same,” was Melinda’s simple reply, and Skye smiled. “Well, now that I’ve ruined what I’m sure was a lovely party-”

“You didn’t ruin anything, Mom,” Sharon reassures her, bouncing Abbey in her lap. “But we’re taking Jemma and Leo out to the bar, do you guys want to come?”

“Not even remotely,” Phil answered, drawing a laugh. “We’ll watch Abbey- you kids go have fun.”

Jemma and Fitz were the last to leave after receiving congratulations from Phil and Melinda; Abbey was half-asleep in Melinda’s arms, so they headed up to put her to bed. Sharon had placed the travel crib in her old bedroom, so they got her in pajamas and placed her in the bed- she cuddled with her stuffed zebra and passed out, snoring softly.

In their bedroom, they got dressed for bed quickly, exhausted from the day. Together they curled up under familiar flannel sheets, turned off the lights, and wrapped around each other. Melinda drifted off easily, nose buried into between Phil’s shoulder blades and filled with the scent of him, head heavy with relief that he was there.

Her dreams are muddled, and she’s pulled from them by Phil’s unsteady breathing; he shakes her awake and rasps “It’s happening again” when her eyes open.

Terror fills her heart.


	5. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bobbi doesn’t answer; she burrows further into her mother’s lap, eyes slipping shut. “I miss home.”
> 
> “Home hasn’t gone anywhere,” she murmurs back, tying the braid off and stroking her fingers over her daughter’s ear, lulling her towards sleep. “We’re always here, Bobbi. You don’t have to do anything alone.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for the wait on this chapter- I hit a bit of a roadblock, but after a little time I finally got this chapter the way I wanted it. And now, only the epilogue is left! Which I already have started, so hopefully it won't take a month this time. Thank you for sticking with this story!

Panic rises in her chest- she tries to reach for Phil, but it’s like he’s drifting farther and farther away, always out of reach. She can hear his shaky breathing echoing in her ears, growing louder and louder until she can’t even hear her own beating heart anymore, aching in her chest. She can feel the white hot tears trailing down her cheeks, throat closing up when-

“Melinda- _Melinda_ , wake up, honey,” she wrenches her eyes open, chest heaving as she blinks sleep from her eyes. Phil is looking at her, concern plain on his face; she swallows, skin clammy with sweat as she sat up, shaking. “You haven’t had a nightmare like that in years.”

Melinda just nods, turning to press her nose into Phil’s shoulder; he holds her close, fingers stroking over her back as she slowed her breathing. “I don’t know what I would do if I lost you, Phil.”

Her husband holds her tighter; she feels the press of his lips against her temple, fingers digging into her back briefly. “I can’t promise you’ll never lose me, but I can promise I never want to leave you, Lin.”

Melinda closes her eyes at that, shifting impossibly closer to him as she tries to push the nightmare out of her mind. He was here, with her, alive and holding her. “I love you so much.”

“And I love you more than anything in this world,” he murmured back, breath warm against her ear. She catalogued every touch and breath and movement; she filed them away for a rainy day, to bring back when she needed to remember the warmth of his love. “Think you can go back to sleep?”

She shook her head, nose brushing against the collar of his shirt. “I’ll go check on Abbey, then see if the kids made it home safe. I’m sure at least two of them are on the couch.”

She rose from the bed, quickly pulling her hair up into a messy ponytail- she turned to find Phil starting to rise, and she kneeled on the bed quickly, gently pushing him back down.

“Go back to sleep, Phil- you need it,” she chided, helping him lay back down. “You’re exhausted. I’ll wake you up in a few hours.”

She stroked his chest lightly as he drifted off again, blue eyes slipping shut and soft snores issuing from his mouth; she smiled as she moved to pull on a clean shirt- one of Phil’s old ones, a coffee stain on the hem and the collar a little torn. She splashed some water on her face in the bathroom, wincing at the bags under her eyes before she headed for the guest bedroom- Abbey was snoring away, as were Trip and Sharon, sprawled out on the mattress. Melinda watched for a moment, hoping her daughter had been able to be honest with her husband, and quietly excited at the prospect of another grandchild to spoil and love.

She smells her other kids before she sees them- the living is a mess of sleeping kids, all of them tangled together. Fitz, Jemma, and Skye were on the floor, Skye’s head in Jemma’s lap, Jemma’s head on Fitz’s chest- Fitz’s head rested against Natasha’s knees, and Clint was sprawled across the couch, head in Nat’s lap. Bobbi is missing, though- Melinda frowns, before she hears the sounds of retching in the downstairs bathroom, and she rushes in that direction.

Her eldest has her head in the toilet, knees on the tile, and Melinda kneels beside her, holding her blonde hair and rubbing her back as she murmured soothingly. Her chest hurts at the tears on her daughter’s face, and when it ends, Bobbi slumping to the ground, Melinda flushes the toilet and pulls her baby closer.

“Will you still love me if I can’t give you grandkids?” Bobbi asks after a moment- her voice is hoarse and her eyes are red, and Melinda’s heart breaks right then and then.

“There is nothing in this life that you could ever do that would make me stop loving you, Barbara,” Melinda tells her, voice soft but firm, stroking her hair. “What’s this about?”

“They figured out why Lance and I can’t get pregnant,” Bobbi answered after a moment, voice thick her throat. Melinda waits, letting her finish. “He won’t let me divorce him, even though he deserves better than me. Better than a hostile uterus that’s inhabitable to fertilized eggs or whatever it was the clinic told me.”

“Not having kids does not make you unworthy,” Melinda argues, fingers combing through long blonde hair and beginning the process of braiding it back. “You are smart, and strong, and beautiful- you’re wonderful at your job, your husband loves you, and you have a family that has had your back from day one.”

Bobbi doesn’t answer; she burrows further into her mother’s lap, eyes slipping shut. “I miss home.”

“Home hasn’t gone anywhere,” she murmurs back, tying the braid off and stroking her fingers over her daughter’s ear, lulling her towards sleep. “We’re always here, Bobbi. You don’t have to do anything alone.”

The blonde hums softly, already halfway to dreamland, and Melinda smiles softly, resting her back against the wall and resigning herself to sleeping on the floor for a bit. She keeps up the steady rhythm of her fingers against Bobbi’s ears and neck and upper back, the motion soothing enough that she lets her eyes slip closed and her head to rest against the wall, sighing quietly.

She doesn’t remember exactly when she fell asleep, but she wakes up when Bobbi’s weight leaves her lap, and she becomes aware of the crick in her neck, groaning softly. She opens her eyes to see Bobbi splashing water on her face, and she stands slowly, back protesting loudly.

“You’ll feel better after a shower,” she tells Bobbi, rubbing her back as the blonde nods, rubbing at her eyes wearily. “And then some sleep in a real bed. Your room is a guest room now, but the bed is the same.”

“Thanks Mom,” Bobbi replied softly, bending to hug her tightly, burying her face in her neck briefly before she headed for the stairs, disappearing up them. Melinda rubbed at her neck, rolling it before she checked in on the kids asleep on the couch- they were still all asleep, so she headed for the kitchen, turning on the coffee for them and starting a kettle for tea for herself.

She’s in the middle of scrambling eggs when arms wrap around her waist and she settles back into Phil, smiling at the kiss he places on her cheek. “You could have slept more.”

“Bed’s lonely without you,” is his answer- he’s heading for the coffee pot when she clears her throat pointedly; he pauses, looking at her, before he sighs in defeat and pours himself a cup of orange juice, settling at the kitchen table. “You look exhausted, Lin.”

“It’s been a long week,” she answers, huffing out a breath as she sprinkles salt and pepper on the almost-finished eggs. Toast pops up from the toaster, and she hears footsteps enter the kitchen as she moves the eggs to a serving dish.

“Morning Mama,” Sharon says, kissing Melinda’s cheek as she straps Abbey into the highchair, bending to kiss her father’s cheek next. “Hi Dad. Feeling okay this morning?”

“Being home is helping,” he answers, tickling his granddaughter’s foot and drawing a giggle from her, pulling a smile onto his face. “How long can you guys stay?”

“We don’t have to go right back,” Sharon answers vaguely, securing a bib around Abbey’s neck and offering her dad the bowl of oatmeal she’d made for her. He took it happily, and Melinda brought Trip a cup of coffee with the sugar and milk where he was seated at the table.

“Thanks, Melinda,” he said- it had taken five years of marriage to Sharon before he’d broken the habit of calling her Mrs. Coulson, which she still found amusing. She gave him a smile and brushed her fingers along Phil’s shoulder before she headed into the living room to wake the other sleeping kids.

They’re mostly awake except for Clint- with an amused nod from Melinda, Nat pushes him off the couch; he wakes with a start, shooting straight up and blinking rapidly, scowling when he realizes they’re all laughing at him. “You all suck.”

“There’s coffee in the kitchen,” Melinda consoles him, rubbing between his shoulder blades before she sends him into the kitchen- she sends Skye upstairs to shower after kissing her head, and Nat follows Fitz and Jemma into the kitchen, braiding Jemma’s hair quickly and tying it off.

In the kitchen, Trip and Jemma are talking about the latest Dan Brown novel they’d finished recently, while Fitz fixes coffee for himself and tea for Jemma; Phil is cleaning up oatmeal from Abbey’s cheeks while Sharon chats with Natasha near the sink, and contentment lines Melinda’s stomach. Her whole family was under the same roof, more or less happy and healthy, and for the first time in a week she took a deep breath.

_

Bobbi has her head under the covers when Sharon sticks her head into her room; she steps inside and closes the door behind her before she lifts up the comforter and crawls up until they’re nose to nose. Sharon sticks her tongue out, hitting the tip of her older sister’s nose which Bobbi scrunches up, eyes remaining closed.

“’M sleeping,” Bobbi mumbles tiredly, swatting at Sharon, but the other blonde just snuggles closer, burrowing her head under Bobbi’s chin and wrapping her arms around her.

“I’m sorry for yelling,” Sharon whispers into Bobbi’s neck. “And I’m sorry you can’t have a baby the easy way.”

“I’m sorry I was such a bitch,” Bobbi replies, nose burying itself in her hair, fingers splaying across her back. “You’re right, I don’t know anything about what it takes to raise a kid, and I shouldn’t judge you.”

“No, you were right to yell at me,” Sharon replied, shifting so they shared the same pillow. “It wasn’t until I talked to Mom and that night with you and Skye that I even realized what I wanted.”

“And what is it that you want?” Bobbi asked, and Sharon bit her lip, studying her for a moment.

“Ready to be an aunt again?” she asked, mouth curling into a tentative smile. Bobbi grinned back, moving forward to hug her tightly, kissing her cheek loudly.

“Congrats, Sharon. I really am happy for you,” she said, tucking a few loose strands of blonde hair behind her ear. “Have you told Trip yet?”

Sharon sighed, shaking her head and turning onto her back to stare at the ceiling. “I should probably go do that.”

Bobbi shoved at her, drawing a laugh from Sharon. “Go on, go. Tell the lucky guy he’s gonna be a dad again. I’m going back to sleep and putting ear plugs in.”

“I hate you,” Sharon said, cheeks flushing as she got out of Bobbi’s bed, throwing the covers back over her head. She shut the door behind her and headed down the hall to the room she, Trip, and Abbey were set up in- her husband was there with Abbey, playing with some of her toys on the bed. “Hey.”

“Hey babe,” Trip said, kissing her as she settled beside him, his arm wrapping around her naturally. Abbey giggled, fitting another block into a slot on the learning table. Trip leaned forward a little, lifting his hand in a high-five; Abbey curled her fingers around his, butting her head into the heel of his hand and laughing again, high and bright.

Sharon smiled, leaning forward the rest her head on Trip’s shoulder. “We should have another one.”

“Alright,” Trip replied after a moment, turning to kiss her temple. “Name the time and place- I’ll be there.”

“How about November 12th, this year?” Sharon asked, feeling Trip freeze before he turned to look at her, eyes widening before his face split into a grin at her tiny nod.

“Wait, Sharon, you’re serious? We’re pregnant again?” he asked, voice breaking just the tiniest bit at the end, and she nodded, unable to stop the happiness bubbling in her chest when his mouth met hers, joy sparking along their lips. “When did you even find out?”

“They told me at my physical- I was going to do another tour, but the pregnancy test came back positive,” Sharon replied, shrugging as she stroked Abbey’s hair. “I know we didn’t really talk about having another baby, but-”

“I think it’s perfect,” Trip interrupted. “Abbey’ll be three, and that’s a good age difference. And we could even stay here, help your brother get married. Spend some time with your folks.”

“I love you,” Sharon said, cupping his cheek and smiling at him. Before she could kiss him again Abbey came up between them- they settled her between them, tickling her belly. “So Abbey, how do you feel about being a big sister?”

Abbey babbled a little, snuggled between the two of them; she patted her mom’s belly after a few moments, giggling, before she fell back against the pillows, full-blown laughter leaving her mouth, pulling her parents in.

They all look up at the knock on the door, finding Skye in the doorway, smiling at them. “Am I interrupting?”

“Not at all, what’s up Skye?” Sharon replied.

“Dad wants to watch a movie, you guys up to joining?” she asked, and after deciding to put Abbey down, Sharon said they’d be right down.

Trip kisses her again, hands in her hair, eyes warm when they meet hers. “I love you, Sharon Triplett.”

Sharon leans forward, forehead touching his, eyes crinkling in the corners as she whispers the words back.

_

The knock on the door interrupts the intense car chase on the screen, and Melinda rouses from the nap she’d been taking against Phil’s shoulder as Skye gets the door. Standing there, looking mildly ragged and the kind of wired you only get from a lot of coffee and jetlag combined, is Lance Hunter.

“ _Hunter_?” Bobbi asks, incredulous as she stands up. He looks relieved to see her but overwhelmed by her entire family there- but then he steels his face, taking a breath before he speaks.

“I’m here to win you back Bob,” he starts, straightening his spine and taking a step towards her. “I don’t care if we can’t have kids- we’ll adopt or foster or get a bunch of puppies, I really don’t care. I just want to spend every day for the rest of my life with you.”

Bobbi’s lips part, and Skye looks between the two of them, eyes wide and trembling a little in excitement, attempting to hold in the grin. Hunter’s eyes scan the faces behind Bobbi, reaching up to scratch his neck.

“Y’know when I planned this out in my head, your family wasn’t here,” he admitted, and Bobbi laughs quietly, face softening a little.

“Are you sure this is what you want, Lance?” she asked, taking a step forward, shrugging a shoulder as she looked at her feet. “Because this is your one chance to go without a fight from me.”

“You’re what I want, Bobbi,” Hunter answered without hesitation, closing the remaining distance between them and nudging her chin up with two fingers until she looked at you. “You’re my bird.”

“Alright, her father’s present,” Phil interrupted then, drawing them out of the bubble they’d formed. “We were watching a movie. Care to join us?”

Hunter looked at Bobbi, and when she smiled softly at him, he nodded, letting her pull him into the armchair she’d been settled in, curling up together. Melinda smiled, kissing Phil’s cheek before she curled back into him, stroking a finger over his chest lightly.

“So Dad, do you have plans at the beginning of November?” Sharon asked, Phil looked over, confusion on his face.

“I don’t tend to make plans seven months in advance, Sharon, but I think I’m free,” he says, and Sharon just smiles.

“Well good. I figured you’d want to be there to meet your new grandchild,” she replies casually, pretending to look at her nails. It takes everyone a second, but when they do, there’s an explosion of noise and excitement and everyone congratulating Sharon and Trip. When she finally makes it to her dad’s side, he’s a little teary, and Sharon laughs a little as she leans down to kiss his cheek, brushing away the drops. “Don’t cry Daddy.”

“I’m so happy for you honey,” Phil says, kissing her forehead and wiping away the tears that fell from her eyes this time, cupping her cheek. “You and Trip are wonderful parents, and we can’t wait to meet this new addition.”

“Thank you, Dad,” she said before she squeezed Melinda’s hand- Clint took her attention after that, leaving Phil and Melinda alone.

“This is a pretty great ending to a pretty awful week,” Melinda murmured, fingers twining with Phil’s as they watched their kids. Phil looked down at her, pressing a kiss to her temple and squeezing her fingers.

“Our family’s together, and happy, and the future is looking bright,” Phil replies, unable to hold back the smile. “We’re stronger together, we always have been.”

“We’re going to be okay,” Melinda smiled, resting her head on his shoulder. Phil smiled.

“Yeah. We are.”


	6. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The only home they'll ever need is their family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's done!! It's done!!!! It's finally completed! It's been an adventure, and I've fallen hard for this universe. There is a sequel planned, but I won't be posting that until it's completely written. Thank you for sticking with this story (and me!), and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did :)

“Our house looks like a bomb went off in it,” Melinda complains, head in her hands as she settles beside Phil at the wedding party table. He smirked in amusement, hand rubbing up and down her back as she turned her head to face him, glaring. “You think it’s funny.”

“Our son got married today, Lin,” he reminded her, thumb brushing down her cheek. “Who cares if the house is a mess? We can worry about it tomorrow.”

Melinda sat up at that, looking out at the sea of people milling around the dance floor as they watched Leo and Jemma dance, eyes only on each other. Bobbi and Hunter were at a table with Sharon, Trip, and Abbey- Sharon was a week from her due date and miserable as hell, but she was laughing at whatever it was her sister was telling her. She’d spotted Clint and Natasha with Jess, Peter, and Gwen earlier, teasing Peter about his new girlfriend who apparently called him “Tiger” and had flaming hair to rival Nat’s. And Skye was sitting with a man Melinda didn’t recognize that was twice her size and looked at her daughter like she was the sun, moon, and stars all rolled up into one.

“It was a beautiful ceremony,” she agreed, resting her head on his shoulder and twining their fingers together. “They looked so happy.”

“Reminds me of another pair of kids, about thirty five years ago,” Phil remarks, and Melinda smiles, rolling her eyes. “I wouldn’t have wanted any of this without you, you know.”

She picks her head up, tilting to look at him and lifting a hand to cup his cheek, thumb running along his jawline. She pulls his face into hers to kiss her- he tastes like champagne and memories and the future all wrapped up in one, and she smiles against his mouth.

“It’s always been you and me, and it always will be,” she replied, voice soft. “I love my life because I made my life with you. Our kids, and our firm, and our house- I love it all because we did it together.”

Phil just smiled at her- that slow smile, the one that tugged up the corners of his mouth first before the rest of his face caught up. He leaned forward to kiss her again, both of them grinning against the other’s mouth. “I’m so glad you said yes when I asked you out in that Calculus lecture.”

“You’re lucky I said yes considering you asked me in front of the whole class,” she replies, laughing, shaking her head fondly. “I’d say yes to anything you asked.”

“Then dance with me,” he requested, holding out a hand. Melinda looked at it for a moment before she took it, letting him pull her to her feet and tug her onto the dance floor next to their son and brand new daughter-in-law.

Seeing Phil and Melinda dancing seemed to spur everyone else to join- Hunter pulled Bobbi while Trip brought out Abbey, setting her on his toes and spinning her around. Clint and Natasha appeared from the fringes as well, and Betty with her husband Bruce were followed by Tony and Pepper and Steve and Peggy.

The last to join were Skye and her new beau- Phil purposefully guides them over to them and in a move that was probably meant to be smooth, takes Skye as his partner and leaves Melinda to meet the new guy.

“So you’re dating my daughter,” she starts off, raising an eyebrow, and the taller man pales a little under his darker skin.

“Yes ma’am,” he replies. “Alphonso Mackenzie. I fix cars.”

“Do you own Mack Tires, on Pine?” Melinda asked, interested, and he nods. “Well, Mack, treat my daughter right. She’s had enough heartbreak this year.”

“I know. I have no intention of hurting her,” he replied, solemn, and if it wasn’t such a serious conversation, Melinda would laugh because his face is at least three feet above her.

“Good,” she replies, giving him a small smile. “Now I’m going to go rescue my husband before my granddaughter stomps all over his feet. I’d go find Skye if I were you. And be prepared for a full battery of questions from her brothers, sisters, aunts, and uncles.”

She leaves Mack even paler than before, grinning to herself as she went over to where Phil and Abbey were dancing. The little girl giggled at the sight of her, lifting one hand towards her; she took it, dancing with her husband and her granddaughter.

The six months since Phil’s heart attack had been hard- lots of doctor’s appointments, diet watching, and terror that Phil would have another attack. But Skye had moved back home with them, and both Clint and Natasha spent more time at home after work than they had before. The firm was doing well, and they’d hired a new lawyer, Matt, so that Melinda and Phil weren’t need quite as much within the office every day. Their family was healing, and constantly growing and shifting and changing, always for the better.

And the only home they’ll ever need is their family.


End file.
